Swollen Elbow

[maxbar]

Hi,
I was hit by a cricket ball on my right elbow around 4 weeks ago. It swoll up very quickly but my movements were not affected. However, the next day, I decided to get an x-ray. It proved there was no break or fracture and the swelling eventually subsided. Since then, it has swollen up again and I had to go to my GP. He said that it was blood and it would take months to go - altough he did offer to syringe it out but he did say it would come back again. The problem is that it seems to be swelling up even more and its becoming an embarrasement to me. I was wondering if there is something else that might be causing the swelling?

[sixphysio]

afternoon

is the swelling in, around or on the point of your elbow?

different places = different things.

a really small hairline fracture may not be seen on xray straight away (especially if the person reading it misses it). 10 days later there may be some callous around the fracture site which will be visible on xray.

if there is swelling in the in the joint, after a fracture, then it's blood. huge fracture = huge pain = huge swelling which when aspirated will go down and return, but not to the same volume. swelling around the joint maybe due to an avulsed ligament and swelling on the point maybe an inflamed bursa (a fluid filled sack), which will return after aspiration.....but give it a bit of compression and fingers crossed

cheers

sixphysio